It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas for Small Business

Released on: December 11, 2009, 11:40 am
Author: Business Link
Industry: Small Business

The run up to Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year with tens of thousands of seasonal jobs created to cope with the Christmas rush. This doesn’t just impact retailers, as many small businesses are also affected. The rush to meet increase in customer demands doesn’t always mean recruiting new staff.

Entrepreneurs may feel pressured to go beyond their financial means and recruit to keep up with the demands of the festive season. Business Link in London urges small businesses to call our helpline or visit our website for advice on seasonal recruitment and avoid unnecessary costs.

London’s small business owners should also undertake a thorough Business Link in London health check to assess their business and be ready to make the most of the upturn in the market place in the New Year.

Whilst the impact of the recession is felt by the majority of London’s entrepreneurs, they remain resilient and optimistic about their future business growth. 63% are planning to grow and levels of optimism remain high at 75%, according to our latest Business Confidence Index, which measures business sentiment of over 3,300 London’s small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

Benjamin Smart, Regional Manager at Business Link in London said;

“It’s the season to be cheery. Small businesses need to keep up their optimism by ensuring they have the right number of people with the right skills to service their customers through Christmas and beyond. My advice is to call us before hiring new staff and get a health check as one of your New Year resolutions.”

A business health check can easily assess ways in which businesses can live within their means and still thrive. More than 9,000 SMEs in London have already benefited from this since its launch over a year ago.

The service allows smaller companies with fewer staff and limited resources to access financial support and expert advice to help steer them through tough economic times and busy working periods.

Karen Hanton, of restaurant booking website toptable.com, added;

“The scale of the Christmas rush can be a real shock to businesses. Business Link in London is a great resource when you need access to quick authoritative information and business support”

Top tips for small businesses to remain unaffected by the Christmas rush include:

CHRISTMAS SEASON TIPS
Tip 1
• Recruit temporary workers through an agency

Tip 2
• Engaging employees on fixed-term contracts

Tip 3
• Recruiting family and friends to help out on weekends and during school and college breaks

Tip 4
• Extending the hours of part-time workers, who may be able to ease the pressure at particularly busy times (and who may want extra money)

Tip 5
• Outsourcing some business activity

Small Business owners can contact Business Link in London for health check advice, including ways to handle the busy festive period at:

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/london/staffingoptions
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/london/seasonalbusiness

Business Link in London is a free and impartial business advisory service providing support to small businesses in London through its Business Advisers, workshops and seminars. It also maintains a round the clock, 24-hour telephone and online advice service.

For further information call 0845 6000 787 or visit: www.businesslink.gov.uk/london